Method of making precut and preset wig and precut and preset wig

ABSTRACT

An already machine made wig is cut and set as desired and styled as necessary for a desired effect. The wefts are each removed from the wig foundation and their length and location recorded. The length of hair on each weft and the sections therealong is also recorded for each weft. The character of the curl and set for each weft so removed is also recorded for each weft and any variation of the sections therealong. Then wefts of hair are made up according to the recordings of the length of the weft and the length of the hair in the sections therealong. A set is applied to each weft according to the record for each weft. Each weft is attached to a wig foundation in accordance with the recordings of locations. The wig can then be further styled as desired by combing and is ready for wear.

United States Patent Abbott et a]. 1 July 25, 1972 54] METHOD OF MAKINGPRECUT AND 3,444,865 5/1969 DeVita ..132/s3 PRESET WIG AND PRECUT AND258,662 5/1882 McCarthy ..132/53 PRESET WIG Dominic C. Abbott,Pittsburgh, Pa.; Godfrey Chen, Kowloon, Hong Kong Abbott Tresses, Inc.,Pittsburgh, Pa. by said Dominic C. Abbott Filed: Sept. 4, 1970 Appl.No.: 69,984

Related U.S. Application Data Continuation of Ser. No. 823,400, May 9,i969, abandoned.

Inventors:

Assignee:

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1969 Trowbridge ..35/59 PrimaryExaminer-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-Gregory E. McNeillAttorney-Marvin B. Rosenberg, David J. Mugford, lrving Holtzman, GeorgeA. Mentis and Ralph D. Gelling [57] ABSTRACT An already machine made wigis cut and set as desired and styled as necessary for a desired efiect.The wefts are each removed from the wig foundation and their length andlocation recorded. The length of hair on each weft and the sectionstherealong is also recorded for each weft. The character of the curl andset for each weft so removed is also recorded for each weft and anyvariation of the sections therealong. Then wefts of hair are made upaccording to the recordings of the length of the weft and the length ofthe hair in the sections therealong. A set is applied to each weftaccording to the record for each weft. Each weft is attached to a wigfoundation in accordance with the recordings of locations. The wig canthen be further styled as desired by combing and is ready for wear.

14 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 06 0 M00004. 1.22.... vva vvvvn PatentedJuly 25, 1972 METHOD OF MAKING PRECUT AND PRESET WIG AND PRECUT ANDPRESET WlG This application is a continuation of application Ser. No.823,400 filed May 9, 1969 and now abandoned.

In such wigs heretofore it is necessary for the hair stylist to firstcut the wig hair to the desired style after applying the wig to thecustomer. This involves time and the judgment of the stylist. Note ismade of the features of the customer and the wig is then removed fromthe customer and later set and curled. The customer may have to return anumber of times for trial fitting and further cutting and trimming maybe necessary.

In this manner of wig fitting and styling caution is observed ofnecessity in trying to not cut and trim the hair too short. Most usuallyunless the stylist is unusually expert the error of cutting and trimmingis in not cutting and trimming a sufficient amount. The wig is reallynot sufficiently styled.

It is an object of this invention to provide for precut and preset wigsthat provide a ready to wear selection for the customer with just minorcombing for further styling as may be desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ready to wear wig thatfits neatly at the hair line.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wig that has wefts ofhair that have been precut and preset before being sewn onto the wigfoundation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide more economicallyproduced wigs that at the same time afford a wide selection of a qualityproduce that is well styled for the customer and is ready to wear.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of theinvention reference is made to the accompanying drawings, thedescription and the claims that follow.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view side elevation of the wig foundation withrepresentations of wefts without hair for illustration purposes as aresewn to the wig foundation but with hair lengths of the various weftsgenerally noted; and

FIG. 2 is a view looking at the right of FIG. 1 and showing the rear ofthe foundation but with some representations of hair attached to thewefts showing the precut stepped lengths in a rather abrupt mannerwithout a set.

Throughout the description like reference numbers refer to similarparts.

A stretch netted foundation 11 has a front edge 12 that extends fromadjacent a temple area of the wearer across the forehead to the othertemple area. Side edges 13 extend upwardly and rearwardly from the endsof the front edge to above the ears of the wearer. A rear edge 14extends from the top of the side edges 13 in a curved manner along therear hair line. The crown of the foundation is at 15 at the top.

In the approach to the invention a machine made wig (not shown) haspreviously been made and provided with the usual excessively long hair.This wig has been cut and trimmed to a desired style and then its hairhas been set and styled as desired.

This wig has each weft of hair removed and its location on the wig iscarefully recorded for further usefulness as will be explained. Thelength of the hair is measured and recorded for the sections therealongas the length may vary. For each weft of hair the curl and set characteris recorded for the sections therealong. The set may be uniformthroughout the weft of hair or it may vary in character by sectiondepending upon the particular style already provided in this master-wig.The measurements are made as to length of the wefts for an unstretchedwig foundation.

There is made up wefts of hair according to length of wefts recordedwith the recorded accompanying lengths of hair. The wefts of hair areset with the proper character of curl and set in accordance with therecording for each weft of hair.

The foundation 11 in an unstretched condition has sewn to its rearinside edge 14 a weft of hair as designated for that position. To theoutside of the rear edge there is sewn the weft of hair 18 premade forthat edge in accordance with the prior recordings for the same as takenfrom the master wig. These rear edge wefts of hair for the representedparticular master wig have hair approximately l /inches long.

Spaced about one-quarter of an inch above the weft of hair 18 and sewnto the outside rear edge 14 is a firstly spaced upward weft of hair 19.This extends parallel to the weft l8 and from one side edge 13 to theother side edge I3 and has hair approximately lkinches long in thisexample. Each of the spacing of the wefts of hair is approximatelyone-quarter of an inch except in some instances as will be explained theends of the wefts converge to abutt each other or terminate adjacentanother weft extending at an angle thereto.

Spaced above the first spaced upward weft I9 is a secondly upwardlyspaced weft 20.

An inside (not shown) and an outside weft 21 is sewn to the foundationadjacent the side edges 13 and extends upwardly and rearwardly beyondthe location of the ear of the wearer and adjacent the ends of the weftsl8, l9 and 20.

Above the weft 20 and extending horizontally are about five or sixspaced apart parallel wefts 22 each of which also has hair ofapproximately l /zinches in length and terminate at their ends at theweft 20.

Four or five spaced apart wefts of hair 23 extend above the plurality ofwefts 22. The lower first three of these wefts 23 extend from weft 20 onone side, around the back of the foundation in a general horizontalmanner, to the weft 20 on the other side of the foundation. Each end ofthe upper two wefts 23 extending from adjacent the front edge 12 of thefoundation at the temple portion of the wig, firstly from each end in agenerally horizontal attitude, then generally parallel to the side edgewefts 21 and then around the back of the foundation in a generallyhorizontal manner. These wefts 23 have hair approximately 2 inches long.

An inside (not shown) and an outside weft of hair 24 are sewn to thefoundation adjacent the front edge 12. The inside weft has hair 3/zinches long while the outside weft 24 has hair 3 inches long. I

A spiral of wefting 25 starts at one end at the front edge outside weft24 at one temple portion above the wefting 23 and in a clockwise manneras viewed from above the foundation. The spacing is about one-quarter ofan inch as is the other weft spacing. It terminates adjacent the topmost portion of the foundation at crown 15 where the spiral spacingdecreases as the weft terminates closely adjacent the crown 15. Thelower six or seven circles of the spiral 25 have hair approximately3%inches long while the upper rest of the spiral wefting has hair of 4to 4/2inches in length.

At the crown there extends a number of strands of hair 26 as desired tocomplete the wig. The various wefts have been preset according to therecording of set for each weft before sewing onto the foundation.

Minor styling as necessary by combing completes the wig when applied tothe wearer.

There may be provided by this method economical and highly desirableprecut and preset wigs. Much if not all of the heretofore guess work inwig styling and delay and disappointment for the customer is eliminated.The customer actually knows in advance what she is buying and how itlooks on her.

Having regard to the foregoing disclosure, the following is claimed asthe inventive and patentable embodiments thereof:

1. A process for making substantially identical ready-towear precut andprestyled wigs of the machine-made type, on a mass production basisemploying wefts of hair attached to a wig foundation, comprising,forming a plurality of wefts of hair, said wefts being formed to severalpredetermined different hair lengths correlated to the location at whicheach weft is to be attached to the foundation and the hairstyle thefinished wig is to have; then setting the hair in each so formed weft asrequired, in a manner correlated to said same location and hairstyle;attaching the so formed wefts to these correlated locations on afoundation so as to thereby form in situ a precut and prestyled wig; andrepeating a multiplicity of times the steps as defined above of formingthe wefts of hair, setting the hair in the wefts, and attaching thewefts to a foundation to reproduce a multiplicity of substantiallyidentical precut and prestyled wigs each having the same hairstyle.

2. A process in accordance with claim 1 in which thewefts are sewn to astretch foundation.

3. Precut and preset ready-to-wear wigs of the machinemade type made inaccordance with the process of claim 1.

4. In the process for making wigs by attaching wefts of hair to a wigfoundation, the improvement which comprises, measuring and noting thelength, location and style of the wefts of hair on the foundation of amodel wig; using the data so obtained to precut and preset wefts of hairto correspond in length and style to the noted length and style at thenoted locations on the wig foundation; and attaching, to the so notedlocations on the wig foundation the corresponding wefts of hair whichhave been so precut and preset, such that the wefts,

when attached to the foundation, together form a preselected hair styleon the foundation without further substantial cutting or styling.

5. Precut and preset ready-to-wear wigs of the machinemade type made inaccordance with the process of claim 4.

6. A process for making a precut and prestyled wig of the machine-madetype employing wefts of hair sewn to a stretch netting foundationcomprising, determining and noting, for a plurality of weft locations onthe foundation of a model wig having a selected hairstyle, the lengthand style of the hair of the wefts sewn to the foundation; formingsimilar wefts of hair by cutting and setting the hair of the weftsaccording to the noted lengths and style; and sewing the correspondingcut and set wefts to the foundation at the locations on the foundationcorresponding to the locations on the model wig from which the notationsof style and length were made so as to thereby produce a wig which isprestyled and precut to duplicate the model wig.

7. A method of precut and preset wig making of the machine-made typewhich has wefts of hair attached to a wig foundation comprising thesteps of taking an already machinemade uncut and unstyled wig andcutting, setting and styling the same as desired while on said wigfoundation whereby is formed a master wig model; then removing each weftfrom the wig foundation of the model wig; recording each wefts locationon said foundation as each weft is removed from the foundation;measuring and recording the length of the weft removed and the length ofthe hair in said weft for sections along the wefts length; noting andrecording the character and section location of the set and styling ofthe hair of each weft and any variation in sections therealong;preparing wefts of hair according to the recorded measured length of thewefts and hair along the sections; setting and styling each preparedweft according to set and style as recorded; and attaching said preparedwefts to a wig foundation in accordance with the recorded location forsaid so prepared wefts, thereby making duplicate precut and preset wigspatterned after the master wig model.

8. A method of precut and 'preset wig making of the machine-made typewhich has wefts of hair attached to a wig foundation comprising thesteps of taking an already machinemade uncut and unstyled wig andcutting and setting the same; using this so prepared wig as a master wigmodel for making further wigs by, noting each wefts location whereattached to the foundation; measuring and noting the length of the weftand the length of the hair in said weft for sections along the weftslength; noting the character and section location of the set of the hairof each weft and any variation in sections therealong; preparing weftsof hair according to the noted measured length of the wefts and thelength of the hair along the sections; setting each prepared weftaccording to the set as noted; and attaching the so prepared wefts to awig foundation in accordance with the noted location for said soprepared wefts, thereby making duplicate precut and preset wigspatterned after the master wig model.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the wefts of the cut and setwig are each removed from the wi foundation of the prepared master wigmodel and then their ocatlon on the wig foundation is noted along withsubsequently measuring and noting the length of each weft, the length ofthe hair in said weft for sections and the character and sectionlocation of the set of the hair.

10. In the process for making machine-made wigs on a mass productionbasis, by attaching wefts of hair to a wig foundation, the improvementwhich permits the mass production of substantially identical precut andpreset wigs each having the same preformed desired hairstyle comprising,measuring and noting from a model wig, the length and style of the hairin the wefts attached to the foundation as well as the location of eachsuch weft, using the data obtained to form wefts of hair, in which thehair is precut to the noted length and preset to the noted style; andattaching to a wig foundation each so formed precut and preset weft atthe noted location on the foundation corresponding to the noted lengthand style, such that the precut and preset wefts, when so attached tothe foundation, form a substantial duplicate of the model wig.

11. A process for making machine-made precut and prestyled wigs on amass production basis having performed the process of claim 10comprising, repeating a multiplicity of times the steps of forming weftsof hair in which the hair is precut to the predetermined noted lengthand preset to the predetermined noted style; and attaching to the wigfoundation the so formed precut and prestyled wefts, to therebyreproduce a multiplicity of substantially identical precut and prestyledwigs having the same hairstyle as the model wig.

12. A process in accordance with claim 11 in which the wefts are sewn tothe foundation.

13. A process suitable for mass producing substantially identicalmachine-made ready-to-wear precut and prestyled wigs employing dataavailable from a model wig indicating the positions of the wefts on thefoundation of the model wig, and the length of the hair, and characterof the curl in the hair in the wefts at each such position, comprisingconstructing wefts of hair for attachment to a wig foundation by formingwefts of hair to several different predetermined hair lengths determinedby the data correlating the length of the hair in each weft to theposition at which it is to be attached to the foundation; then curlingand setting the hair in the so formed wefts according to the datafurther correlating the curl in each weft according to the position atwhich the weft is to be attached to the foundation; and attaching the soformed preset wefts to the correlated positions'on the foundation so asto thereby form in situ a precut and prestyled wig wherein each wig soproduced has the same preformed hairstyle without significant deviationfrom wig to wig.

l4. Precut and prestyled, ready-to-wear wigs of the machine-made typemade in accordance with the process of claim 13.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,678.942 D d Julv 2s 1972 Inventor) Dominic C. Abbot-t et a1 It is certifiedthat error appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, after line 4, insert Heretofore it has been the practice inwig making generally to make up a wig either a handmade wig or a machinemade wigwith excessive long hair In the hand made -wig a wig. foundationof netting has hair hand tied (double knotted) to the'corne'rs' of thenetting, seven or eight strands of hairat a time in the better made wigsMachine made wigs have wefts of hair made with excessively long hair andthese made up we'fts are sewn to the wig foundation in spaced apartrelation.

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of December 1974.

(SEAL) Attestz- I MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. c, MARSHALL DANN Attesting OfficerCommissioner of Patents FORM PC4050 (IO-G9) i USCQMMoDC 603764259 7 u.$.GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 8 93 o

1. A process for making substantially identical ready-to-wear precut andprestyled wigs of the machine-made type, on a mass production basisemploying wefts of hair attached to a wig foundation, comprising,forming a plurality of wefts of hair, said wefts being formed to severalpredetermined different hair lengths correlated to the location at whicheach weft is to be attached to the foundation and the hairstyle thefinished wig is to have; then setting the hair in each so formed weft asrequired, in a manner correlated to said same location and hairstyle;attaching the so formed wefts to these correlated locations on afoundation so as to thereby form in situ a precut and prestyled wig; andrepeating a multiplicity of times the steps as defined above of formingthe wefts of hair, setting the hair in the wefts, and attaching thewefts to a foundation to reproduce a multiplicity of substantiallyidentical precut and prestyled wigs each having the same hairstyle.
 2. Aprocess in accordance with claim 1 in which the wefts are sewn to astretch foundation.
 3. Precut and preset ready-to-wear wigs of themachine-made type made in accordance with the process of claim
 1. 4. Inthe process for making wigs by attaching wefts of hair to a wigfoundation, the improvement which comprises, measuring and noting thelength, location and style of the wefts of hair on the foundation of amodel wig; using the data so obtained to precut and preset wefts of hairto correspond in length and style to the noted length and style at thenoted locations on the wig foundation; and attaching, to the so notedlocations on the wig foundation the corresponding wefts of hair whichhave been so precut and preset, such that the wefts, when attached tothe foundation, together form a preselected hair style on the foundationwithout further substantial cutting or styling.
 5. Precut and presetready-to-wear wigs of the machine-made type made in accordance with theprocess of claim
 4. 6. A process for making a precut and prestyled wigof the machine-made type employing wefts of hair sewn to a stretchnetting foundation comprising, determining and noting, for a pluralityof weft locations on the foundation of a model wig having a selectedhairstyle, the length and style of the hair of the wefts sewn to thefoundation; forming similar wefts of hair by cutting and setting thehair of the wefts according to the noted lengths and style; and sewingthe corresponding cut and set wefts to the foundation at the locationson the foundation corresponding to the locations on the model wig fromwhich the notations of style and length were made so as to therebyproduce a wig which is prestyled and precut to duplicate the model wig.7. A method of precut and preset wig making of the machine-made typewhich has wefts of hair attached to a wig foundation comprising thesteps of taking an already machine-made uncut and unstyled wig andcutting, setting and styling The same as desired while on said wigfoundation whereby is formed a master wig model; then removing each weftfrom the wig foundation of the model wig; recording each weft''slocation on said foundation as each weft is removed from the foundation;measuring and recording the length of the weft removed and the length ofthe hair in said weft for sections along the weft''s length; noting andrecording the character and section location of the set and styling ofthe hair of each weft and any variation in sections therealong;preparing wefts of hair according to the recorded measured length of thewefts and hair along the sections; setting and styling each preparedweft according to set and style as recorded; and attaching said preparedwefts to a wig foundation in accordance with the recorded location forsaid so prepared wefts, thereby making duplicate precut and preset wigspatterned after the master wig model.
 8. A method of precut and presetwig making of the machine-made type which has wefts of hair attached toa wig foundation comprising the steps of taking an already machine-madeuncut and unstyled wig and cutting and setting the same; using this soprepared wig as a master wig model for making further wigs by, notingeach weft''s location where attached to the foundation; measuring andnoting the length of the weft and the length of the hair in said weftfor sections along the weft''s length; noting the character and sectionlocation of the set of the hair of each weft and any variation insections therealong; preparing wefts of hair according to the notedmeasured length of the wefts and the length of the hair along thesections; setting each prepared weft according to the set as noted; andattaching the so prepared wefts to a wig foundation in accordance withthe noted location for said so prepared wefts, thereby making duplicateprecut and preset wigs patterned after the master wig model.
 9. A methodaccording to claim 8 wherein the wefts of the cut and set wig are eachremoved from the wig foundation of the prepared master wig model andthen their location on the wig foundation is noted along withsubsequently measuring and noting the length of each weft, the length ofthe hair in said weft for sections and the character and sectionlocation of the set of the hair.
 10. In the process for makingmachine-made wigs on a mass production basis, by attaching wefts of hairto a wig foundation, the improvement which permits the mass productionof substantially identical precut and preset wigs each having the samepreformed desired hairstyle comprising, measuring and noting from amodel wig, the length and style of the hair in the wefts attached to thefoundation as well as the location of each such weft, using the dataobtained to form wefts of hair, in which the hair is precut to the notedlength and preset to the noted style; and attaching to a wig foundationeach so formed precut and preset weft at the noted location on thefoundation corresponding to the noted length and style, such that theprecut and preset wefts, when so attached to the foundation, form asubstantial duplicate of the model wig.
 11. A process for makingmachine-made precut and prestyled wigs on a mass production basis havingperformed the process of claim 10 comprising, repeating a multiplicityof times the steps of forming wefts of hair in which the hair is precutto the predetermined noted length and preset to the predetermined notedstyle; and attaching to the wig foundation the so formed precut andprestyled wefts, to thereby reproduce a multiplicity of substantiallyidentical precut and prestyled wigs having the same hairstyle as themodel wig.
 12. A process in accordance with claim 11 in which the weftsare sewn to the foundation.
 13. A process suitable for mass producingsubstantially identical machine-made ready-to-wear precut and prestyledwigs employing data available from a model wig indicating the positionsof the wefts on the foundation of the model wig, and the length of Thehair, and character of the curl in the hair in the wefts at each suchposition, comprising constructing wefts of hair for attachment to a wigfoundation by forming wefts of hair to several different predeterminedhair lengths determined by the data correlating the length of the hairin each weft to the position at which it is to be attached to thefoundation; then curling and setting the hair in the so formed weftsaccording to the data further correlating the curl in each weftaccording to the position at which the weft is to be attached to thefoundation; and attaching the so formed preset wefts to the correlatedpositions on the foundation so as to thereby form in situ a precut andprestyled wig wherein each wig so produced has the same preformedhairstyle without significant deviation from wig to wig.
 14. Precut andprestyled, ready-to-wear wigs of the machine-made type made inaccordance with the process of claim 13.